The Governors Ball Music Festival June 2020

The Governors Ball Music Festival June 2020

Held annually in Randall's Island in New York City, The Governors Ball Music Festival is a multi-day music festival, featuring a mix of genres and styles of music, including rock, electronic, hip-hop, indie, Americana, pop, folk, and more. Launched back in 2011, the event is produced by Founders Entertainment, a New York City-based festival promotion company that also produces The Meadows Music & Arts Festival.  Previous event: May 31-June 2, 2019.

Next one will be 5-7 June 2020.

Apart from the music performances, the festival also provides activities and games as well as large number of popular New York restaurants and food trucks. Whether you want to dance the night away or sit back and indulge yourself in some delicious meal, The Governors Ball Music Festival caters to all tastes and moods. As the organisers state on the event's official website: “The next best thing after live music is delicious food, and Gov Ball features some of the best eats in town. With help from our friends at The Infatuation, we select restaurants, food trucks, and menus that prove why NYC is the foodie capital of the world.”

Some of the activities featuring in the event include mini golf, silent discos, interactive photo booths, life-size board games, and unique outdoor activities.

2018 headliners included Eminem, Jack White, and Travis Scott, along with a fantastic lineup: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Post Malone, James Blake, Shawn Mendes, Damian ‘Jr. Gong' Marley, The Glitch Mob, Maggie Rogers, 6lack, Dram, Godlink, Tash Sultana, Alvvays Wolf Alice, Belly Flight Facilities, Pond, Two Feet, Sir Sly, A$AP Twelvyy, Lou The Human, Lophile, Slaves, Silk City (Diplo + Mark Ronson, The Gaslight Anthem, 2 Chainz, Cut Copy, Galantis, Russ, Manchester Orchestra, Pusha T, Kelela, Japandroids, Lany, The Menzingers, Jay Electronica, Moses Sumney, Aurora, VHS Collection, Cuco, The Spencer Lee Band, Mikky Ekko, The Regrettes, N.E.R.D., Khalid, Chvrches, Lil Uzi Vert, Sylvan Esso, Dirty Projectors, Amine, Kali Uchis, Margo Prince, Vic Mensa, Third Eye Blind, Billie Eilish, Quinn XCII, The Struts, Middle Kids, Knox Fortune, Westside Gunn & Conway, Berhana, Alice Merton, and Confidence Man.

If you are planning on attending this festival, here is some useful information. You should bring sunscreen, hats and sunglasses as it is quite sunny. You should also bring earplugs, non-professional film and digital cameras, factory sealed bottles of water (non-glass containers) or better yet, bring an empty refillable bottle, phone charging case or phone charger, a super sweet outfit, small backpacks or bags, blankets or beach towels, valid Driver's License for will-call and/or to drink alcohol, comfortable shoes, not just a good attitude… a GREAT attitude. What is not allowed at the event are weapons, fireworks, illegal substances, tobacco/smoking products of any kind, outside food - a personal sized food item is allowed for those with specific dietary restrictions, with a doctor's note only - large or hard sided coolers, picnic baskets, skateboards, scooters, or personal motorised vehicles, large umbrellas (personal sized are okay), hard back chairs/lawn furniture, totems made of wood, metal and/or PVC material will NOT be allowed (this includes flap poles and heavy sticks), pets, glass containers of any kind, alcohol, instruments, chains, large backpacks, selfie sticks, laser pointers, professional still camera equipment, audio/video recording equipment, drones or hover cameras, emotional baggage, no illegal vending is permitted, and anything really valuable.

The festival takes place in two adjacent fields of Randall's Island Park: the Harlem River Event Area (right by Icahn Stadium) and the Randall's Island Golf Center Driving Range. The two main entrances are the East Entrance - located right next to Ichan stadium, which is for people who arrive by MTA bus, taxis/ubers, the Queens RFK bridge walkway, and the 103rd street footbridge - and the West Entrance - located right by the ferry dock, which is for people who arrive by Manhattan Ferry and the Manhattan RFK bridge walkway.

The event has been described by The New York Times as “A Festival with a New York Heart.” And the organisers said on their website that they live and breathe music: “We started all this 8 years ago because we were music lovers who lived in a city that needed - that deserved - a contemporary music festival. Music is always our primary focus, and with 60+ artists of all genres across 4 stages, there is something for everyone.”